Ornamental material and method of preparing the same



Oct. 5 1926. 1,602,286

3. M. SMITH ORHAMENTAL MATERIAL AND METHOD OF PREPARING THE SAME Filed March 3, 1926 INVENTOR.

TORNEYS'.

Patented Get. 5, W26.

omen stares GARDNER M. sivrrrn, or ouis, MIssounr.

Application filed March 3, 1926." Serial are. 92,091,

This invention relates to the art of ornamentation and has as an object to provide an ornamental sheet material, and a method of preparing the same.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Many open work fabrics such as lace, for

example, while highly ornamental, have not been widely used for surface ornamentation because their delicate structure is too fragile to withstandhard usage, and also because of the difficulty of securing such fabrics to a surface.

' According to the present invention, it is proposed to apply lace or similar open work fabrics to a backing sheet of leather, thus forming a composite sheet suitable for use in many relations. For example, such sheet material could be used to advantage in the making of uppers for ladies shoes, or, indeed, wherever leather is used as an outer covering for decorative as well as utilitarian purposes.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a top plan view of the assembled sheet material, and

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional view.

According to the preferred method of preparing the composite sheet, a sheet or strip of lace 1 is laid over a sheet of leather 2, the two sheets being held and supported 41 race to face by any suitable means. A. coat: ing o cementitious material, preferably colorless, is then applied to the assembled sheets in sm 'iicient quantity to thoroughly saturate and impregnate the lace, and to secure the individual strands or filaments thereof tightly to the leather.

lVhile the invention is not limited to the use of any particular cementitious material, it has been found that a pyroxylin cement such a butyl acetate cellulose nitrate solution is particularly well adapted for the purpose, for it is substantially colorless and provides a thin waterproof coating over both leather and fabric which serves to protect both to a certain degree.

After the cement has set, the composite sheet may be pressed to smoothness by the application of heat and pressure, or if desired, for special purposes, the composite sheet maybe embossed by'ordinaryuriethodsb "If" desired, the leather sheet "may be stretched somewhat and maybe held in stretched'condition While the cement is applied, in order to open the pores to permit penetration of the cement to cause better adhesion.- It is not ordinarily desirable to stretch the lace, it being sufficiently merely to lay itflat against the surface of the leather.

For certain purposes, as where the composite sheet is to be subjected to severe flexing, the lace may be dipped in or treated with a suitable lubricant such as castor-oil prior to the application of the cement.

The finished sheet is. substantially as flexible as the leather backing sheet to which th lace is armlied, and mav be handled and worked in substantially the same manner. D e to the impregnation of the. cement, however, the lace becomes much more durable and less susceptible to destruction when subjected to scuffing such as is ordinarily received by shoe uppers.

lVhile the cement applied forms a protective coating over the leather and lace which is sufficient for most purposes, for special purposes, as where the outer surface of the material is to be subjected to very severe scufling, an additional film or coating of pyroxylin may be applied.

it will be understood that the invention may be variously modified and embodied within the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of ornamenting leather sheets which comprises treating a sheet of lace with lubricant, and cementing the same to the leather sheet.

2. A composite ornamental sheet com rising a leather body portion having a superficial layer of openwork textile fabric cemented thereto, the strands of said open work fabric standing out in relief above the surface of the leather.

3. A com osite ornamental sheet com prising a leather body portion having a superficial layer of openwork textile fabric cemented thereto by a transparent waterproof cemcnt, the strands of said openwork fabric standing out in relief above the surface of the leather.

4:. A composite ornamental sheet comprising a leather body portion having a superficial layer of openwork textile fabric cemented thereto by a transparent pyroxylin com osition, the strands of said openwork fabric standing out in relief above the surface of the leather.

' 5. The method of making ornamental composite sheets comprising assembling an openxvork textile fabric and a leather sheet in si'lperimposed relation and applying a cementitious Waterproof material in sufficient quantity to saturate and impregnate the fabric ancl'to cause itto adhere firmly to the surface of the leather.

The method of making ornamental composite sheets comprising assembling an onenworl: textile fabric and a leather sheet 1 in superinnposed relation, applying a cementitious Waterproof material in sufficient quantity to saturate and impregnate the fabric and to cause it to adhere firmly to the surface of the leather and applying smoothing pressure and heat to remove the Wrinkles after the cement has set.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this, specification this 26th day of February, 1926.

GARDNER NL SMITH. 

